Trump Budget Chief Says Massive Firings are Coming in ‘One to Two’ Days if the Shutdown Drags On

Russell Vought, head of the Office of Management and Budget, told House Republicans on a conference call Wednesday that reductions in the federal workforce would happen soon.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is signaling that the government shutdown, which began Wednesday after lawmakers failed to strike a funding deal, will soon bring sweeping consequences for the federal workforce.

Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, told House Republicans on a private conference call that layoffs would begin within “one to two” days unless Congress moved quickly to reopen the government. According to multiple sources familiar with the call, Vought repeated warnings he had issued in a memo last week, which instructed agencies to prepare for reductions in force if appropriations lapsed.

Although he offered no specifics on how many workers could be affected or which agencies might see the deepest cuts, Vought placed the blame squarely on Democrats, insisting that the firings would not be necessary if they had agreed to the administration’s spending priorities.

White House Signals Layoffs Loom

Shortly after the call, Vice President JD Vance reinforced the message in the White House briefing room.

“We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues,” Vance said. “We don’t like that. We don’t necessarily want to do it. But we’re going to do what we have to in order to keep the American people’s essential services running.”

Vance emphasized that the administration was not politically targeting any agencies or employees. “We’re not basing this on politics,” he said. “The goal is to keep as much of the government’s essential services functioning as possible.”

Still, the prospect of mass layoffs within days added to growing anxiety among federal workers, many of whom are already bracing for missed paychecks.

Federal Programs on the Line

On the call with Republicans, Vought also raised alarms about the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program, which provides food assistance to millions of low-income families. He warned that funding for WIC could run dry within a week if the government does not reopen. State and local officials administering the program have expressed similar concerns, noting that the shutdown is leaving them without clarity on how long they can continue to operate.

Other programs and services are also caught in the crossfire. Military pay and salaries for hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers are on hold. National parks remain partially open, but with reduced staff and services, raising safety and maintenance concerns.

Democrats Push Back

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the administration’s approach, arguing that the threats of layoffs reflect a deeper Republican philosophy rather than a necessity caused by the shutdown.

“They would have laid people off regardless of the shutdown,” Jeffries said. “This is part of their ideology. Cruelty is the point when it comes to the Republican Party.”

Gridlock in Congress

The looming firings come against the backdrop of deep partisan gridlock in Congress. The Senate has now rejected dueling Democratic and Republican proposals to fund the government twice in 24 hours. With Republicans holding a 53–47 majority, any bill requires bipartisan support to clear the 60-vote threshold, but compromise has so far proved elusive.

The shutdown officially began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, when funding expired at the close of the fiscal year on September 30. Lawmakers had been negotiating a stopgap measure to keep the government open, but neither side was willing to give ground.

Uncertain Days Ahead

For now, federal employees, military families, and millions of Americans who rely on federal programs are left in limbo. The Trump administration insists the layoffs are an unfortunate necessity; Democrats argue they are part of a political strategy designed to inflict maximum pain.

As both sides dig in, the consequences of the shutdown are becoming more immediate and severe. With firings set to begin within days, the pressure on lawmakers to strike a deal is intensifying by the hour.